Force-feed lubricating system



Sept. 6, 193'2. '1. cowLEs FORCE FEED LUBRICATING SYSTEM Filed April l30. 1927 Z-Sheets-Sheet l :ai the pump.

Patented Sept. 6, `1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Il.. .y

IBVINC CoWLns'or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, AssIGNoR To UNION BAN'IIOF CHICAGO, orV CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CoaronATIoNor ILLINoIs,TnUsTEE f FORCE-FEED LUBRICA'IING SYSTEM A.'

Applicationmed April 3o,

This invention has for its object to provide a high-pressure system of lubrication of bearings of machinery and vehicles and includes devices mounted on the bearings for fairly 'accurately measuring the volumeof oil delivered to each thereof, all of said measuring de vices beingconnected with a pump and the latter, in turn, with a source of supply of iuid underpressure for actuatingthe same.

The main object of the present invention is to provide a lubricating system which is indirectly associated with a sourceV of power such as the motor of an automotive vehicle and is controlled by a suitable hand controlled ,'.l valve. i Y

I In the accompanying `drawings illustrating a suitable embodiment of the invention: Figure 1 is a sectional view showing the preferred type of pump employed and the connections between the same and an engine oil-pump. Y

Figure 2 is a fragmentary section of the pump showing the operative parts thereof in another position.

Z3 Figure 3 is a sectional View on the line 3-3 of Figure 2. l

Figure 4 is a fragmentary section showing several bearings equippedl with oil'measuring devices and piping connecting the same with Figures 5 and 6 are sectional views of two distinct types of measuring 'devices used.

Figure 7 is a perspective vof the cap member of a measuring device.

The system includes the pump 1 having at one end a head 2 provided with a central port connected by pipe 3 with the three-way valve Il. In this instance the valve 4 is connected by pipe 5 with the engine oil-pump 6 for receivw ing oil under pressure from the'latter and is also connected by pipe 7 with a three-way valve 8. The latter is connected by pipe 9 with the source from which. the pumpl 6 ob-` tains its oil, and by pipe 1 0 with the other 45 head 11 of the pump 1. y

y its ends.

1927.` serial Np. 187,741; n

The head 11 has two always open ports 12 and 13, one of which connects with pipe 10 and the other with a; pipe `111. It also has a port'l vwhich connects with pipe 16 leading to the bearing to-be lubricated. The port '15 is controlled by the spring-held check valve 17 and connects` with the smaller `cylinder 18 concentric with and shorter than pump-'cylin-` der 1. The cylinder 18 sintegral with the headll. .f A j l Y In .the pump-cylinder 1 vthere ,is mounted the piston 19V which is `held by the compression spring 20 normally against thehead2.` In the cylinder 18 there is ,mounted a piston 21 which is slidable on the tubular stem22 Jtween the cross-pin 23" andthe shoulder 241 The stem 22 loosely fits the cylinder 18 atits outer 'end portion and is connected rwith the piston 19 by means of the rod 25 whichhasV swivel connectiony with both thelpiston 19 and ustem 22 in order` thatany inaccuracy of axial alignment between the bores'ojl cylinders'l and k18 may be compensated for.

VIn the larger vend` portion of th'efstem 22 is a plug. 26 of porous 4materialpsuch as Afelt, 70 which is confined between metal screens 27. In the smaller endI portion of the stem 22 adjacentthe shoulder 24., there are perforations 28`andfin the ,adjacent end of the piston 21V there is mounted a leatherv washer29 to lseat gs on the shoulder 24.-

Thecombined length of the stem 22 and connecting rod is such thatwhen the cup# leather 30 ofl piston19 seats on they` end of cylinder-18, the small end of stem 22 bears 3Q Vupon andholds open the check-valve 17.

Pipe-'14 connects with a T-coupling 31lead' ing to an oil tank 32 and toa pipe 33 equipped" with a valve 34. The pipe 33 pleads also. to the source from which pump 6 receives` its Supply- `Mounted on each of the bearings to be lubricated is-a casing 35 having'a stepped'cylindri# cal bore 36 to provide a valve seat37 between the-threaded stem.38V ofthe casing there is mounted a spring-closed check-valve 39 seating on the shoulder 40. `Within the larger end portion of the bore .36 there is mounted a piston 41 which is of so much smaller diameter than said bore as to permit of slow leakage of oil pastthe' same. The spring 42 lightly holds piston 41 against theinner end of the cylinder head 43- In Fig. 5 this spring is shown as resting upon the yeheck-valve 39 the spring of Which is suflicientlyv strong to maintain said valve closed against the action of the spring' 42 even When the latter is compressed to .the point'at Whichthe piston 41 seats on .shoul-Y der ofvalveseat 37. InFig. 6 the spring 42 is shovvn as resting upon a shoulderY 44 at the end of the smaller portion of the bore4 36. Eitherof these structures may be usedv but for'very small measuring devices the type..

of Fig. 5'is preferred. v

The inner end of the cylinder-head 43 is provided with recesses 45 to prevent the pisthe same as ,that which is fed to theenginev bearingsby the pump 6 through `pipe 5a or,

if .desired, may be of a di'erent kindfvvhich- Wouldbe contained inthe tank 32.`

The pump 6 may, inthe event that the' oil for the bearin, `2sr is contained in the tank 32, be considered. as constituting merely a source of fluid'under pressure such as air, steam, Water oroil.- '1 A A 7 Assuming, however, that 'the engine oil is to vbe fed to the bearings With Which the casings 35 "are associated, Athe'ope'ratimis as follows:

'f Valve .34 is open and'valvev 8 is positioned as shown in Fig. 1, the pump 6 being in oper-V ation, oil under pressure will; pass into cylinder 1 and force thel piston to the 4position shown in Fig. 2. All excessoilcontained in cylinder 1 Will pass outof portsl12and 13 back to the source. l Y Y rlhe initial movementof the stein 22 Will cause the shoulder 24 to meet the leather Washer 29 andfthus the perforations28 ,will

beclosedfby the piston 21. Furthermove y ment', of said stenrivillee'ct 4travelof the Y piston 21 to forceoil infcylinder`18 past the check-valve 17 into the pipe 16 andthence into the several casings 35 of which there will be a number corresponding to the number of bearings to be lubricated. Assuming` that the, pressure onV the" piston 19V' equals two atmospheres per's'quare inch' and the area developed in said cylinder 18 Will be, theoretiv cally, twenty atmospheres per square inch. Thus oil will be discharged from cylinder 18 at high pressure and, consequently, high ve, Vlocity. rihis pressure expressed in terms of velocity, causes the oil to pass into the casings 35, ivhich are already full of oil, at a speed far in excess `of the speed at Whichit may leak past the pistons 41 and, consequently, as soon as the pressure on the check-valves 39 attains the pressure (for example, oneatmos-,-

phe're) necessary toropen the' sanie',the oil below pistons 41fplus some leakage,vvvill pass into the bearings until the pistons are seated on the seats 37 and thus shut off flow to thebearings.

,'lfhe capacityvof the cylinder 18 must be in excess of the aggregate of all of the casings 35 so 'that all pistons 41 Will be seated before the piston 21 has attained the end of its After they pistons 41 areV seated, the piston 21 Will continue its pressure` pressurestroke.

stroke because the excess oil'in cylinder 18.A

will bel gradually forced through the plug 26 'past the swivel connection between lstein 22 and rod 2 5 into the portion of the: cylinder 18 back of piston 21 whence it flows through the perforations 46into the lov-7' pressure end portion of cylinder :1. .The density of the plug 26 is such that during .therpressure stroke of piston 21y a very high'pressure Will be maintained due to speed of travel of said piston.V y

As theipressure stroke ofpiston 21 is conipleted, the valve 17 ,will be held open Vby the stem 22 tovpermitv gradual. relief of pressure in the casings 35 and pipe 16 byf seepage through the plug 26 under the influence of such backpressure asis occasioned by the springs 42 andthe springs` of the check-valves 39. As soon as this pressure is atfor below the "assumed one-atmosphere, the pistons 41 will return to their normal positions by leakageof oil past and transference from the upper intov the lower end portionsV ofthe casings 35, the gcheck-valves 39 preventing back-flow of oil or air from the bea-rings into said 'casings Upon turning valve 4 to thepositionshovvn indottedr lines in Figure 1, the lower end of cylinder 1 'will be cut off from the pump 6 and Lconnected 'with' pipe 7 Vand thus with theup'per end of cylinder 1 the valve 8 vbeing also turned to its dottedline position to thus conn ect the iipper end of Vcylinder l With pipe '7 The spring 2O Will now force piston 19.

back `to the position sho-Wn in Figure 1 thereby transferring `the oil fed from the Y pump 6 into the loft7 pressure end of cylinder ,1f The initial returnstroke ofvstem 22 Vwill be relatively to the piston 21Which Will nov.'

uncover the perforations28 toth-us freeflow of oil' from the low pressure end of cylinder 18, this initial movement of stem 22 'also permitting check-valve 17 to close. Thus during return stroke of stem22 and piston 21 the cylinder 18 will refill with oil. If oil of la different kind than that fed to the` engine bearings should be desired for the bearings or if the piston 19 is to be actuated by steam, air or water, then the tank 32 would be filled with the desired oil, the valve 34 closed and valve 8positioned to connect pipe 7 with pipe 9, the latter then leading to atmosphere or wherever desired. In all other respects the operation would be as above described, the tank 32 now consti- -tuting the sourceof oil.

bviously, by disconnecting vpipe 3 from cylinder head 2,` and passing a rod through the .opening in head 2, the piston 19 may be manually operated. f

It will be understood, of course that the member 6 may be any device capable of generating fluid 'pressure and thus constitute the equivalent of a pump of the type best suited to the purpose of the invention.

The tank 32 may be of the sealed type provided with an air vent controlled by valve 47. A pipe 48 equipped with a valve 49 may connect the tank 82 above the oil level therein with the suction pipe 50 of the pump 6 and said suction pipe equipped with a valve 51 for disassociating other than tank 3 2.

If now pipe 3 is omitted, valves 34, 47 andV 51 closed andvalve 8 turned to disassociate pipe 10 from cylinder 1, and valve 49 opened, the pump. 6 will create a partial vacuum in the tank 32 which will be communicated to cylinder, 1 above the piston 19 and serve, by entry of atmospheric pressure below the piston 19, to move the latter against the action of spring 20, atmosphere being, in this mode of operation, the source of fluid under pressure for operating ,the system. Opening valve 47 will relieve the vacuum and permit spring return of piston 19 to normal position.

The cylinder 1 8 and parts associated therewith constitute a pump, while cylinder l and piston 19 with associated parts constitute fiuid pressure responsive means for actuating this pump. i'

It will be obvious, of course, that only such of the piping and valves shown and described will be used as maybe required for the specilic mode of operation chosen bythe user.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a lubricating system, a cylinder adapted to be maintained full of oil, a piston therein, a second pump cylinder communieating at its intake end with the first cylinder, a hollow piston rod 'for said second pump connected with said piston for actuation by the latter, intake ports between the ends of said piston rod, a'pistonhavi'ng limited `slidit from a sourceof fluid` able movement on said rod for controlling said ports, and means for actuating said firstnamed piston. 'f j 2. In a lubricating system, a cylinder adapted to bemaintained full of oil, a piston therein, a second pump cylinder communicating' at its intake'end vwith the first cylinder, a hollow piston rod for said second pump connected with said piston for actuation by the latter, intake ports between the ends of said piston rod, a piston havinglimited slidable movement on said rod for controlling said ports, and means for actuating -said 1 firstnamed piston, a source offiuid under pressure connected with said first cylinder to actuate both'said pistons, a check-valveat the discharge end of said second cylinderadapted to be maintained open by said rod as the latter attains the limitv of its pressure stroke, a bearing connected with the discharge end ofl said secondcylinder, a fluid pressureresponsive valve interposed in said connection for l shutting 0H flow to the bearing before said second piston has attained thelimit of its pressure stroke, and means Within saidrod for permitting slow seepage of oil fromsaid second into said first cylinder for permitting completion of said pressure stroke and effecting relief of pressure upon said valve while said check-valve is maintained open.

3. In a lubricating system, a pump for supi plying oil under pressure to a bearing, pipe connection 'between said pump andbearingincluding a device for limiting flow to the bearing of a volume of oil 'less than the pump capacity, means for yieldably effecting apressure discharge operation ofsaid pump, means associated with the latter for permitting completion of its pressure actuation While maintaining a relative constant pressure'therein, a Yspringheld check-valve controlling the dis` charge port o f said pump, and means inthe latter for maintaining said check-valve open as the pressure actuation of the pump'is completed to thereby permit relief' of pressure in the pipe connection before the suction stroke of the pump begins.` A

4. In a lubricating system, a` pump having spring actuated means for effecting suction actuation thereof, means foryieldably imparting pressure .actuationjthereof against the action of said spring, aspringheld check- 'valve controlling the discharge port of said pump, pipe connection between v.the latter and a bearing, a'springheld fluid pressure responsive valve interposed in said connec-i.- ti on for shutting off flow to the bearing before the pressure actuation of said pump iscompleted,`and means for permitting a seepage from said pumpV otherwise than to the bearing during the remainder. of its pressure actuation `and after completion thereof i to thereby effect relief of pipe pressure.

45.v The combination with a pumpy capable Yis y pump.

of'being actuated to discharge liquid therefromfat various pressures and fluid pressure responsive self restoring fluid measuring devices associated with'points to be lubricated and with said pump for shutting olf flow from the latter to said points upon delivery to each ofthe latter of va predetermined volume of lubricant, of armass of permeable material associated with said pump and said devices for discharge of lubricant in excess of the aggregate requirements of said devices after shut off of flow to the points aforesaid at -whatewer pressure the lubricant may be under followino` completion of the pressure'stroke ofthe pump.

, Y 6. A lubricating system including springheld fluid pressure` responsive devices associated with the bearings adapted, under normal bearing conditions, to shut off flow to the latter after delivery of a predetermined volumethereto, a pump yieldingly actuatedv to effect delivery of lubricant V under pressure to said devices and adapted to deliver lubricant in eircess of thenormal requirements of said bearings,'and a permanently permeable mass of material located for the resisted dischargeV of excess lubricant from said pump and devices otherwise than to the charged bearings for relieving pressure and permitting the self-restoring of said devices following completion of the pressure stroke of the T. In a defined, a lubricant reservoir,.a pump cylinder in one end thereof having adischarge port 'at the one end of the reservoir and communieating at its other end with the latter between the ends thereof, ka tubular plunger reciprocable in said cylinder and provided between its ends with openings, a piston slidab'le on said plunger and' constituting a valve for Vautomatically covering said openings on the pressure stroke to prevent back-flow of oil from the pressure chamber of the cylinder, and uncovering the same on the suction stroke ofsaid plunger to admit oil from .the reservoir into the pressure chamber of the cylinder, and a filter plug in said plunger back of said openings for permitting seepage ofoil from the pressure chamber to thefreservoir during the pressure ,stroke of the plunger and following completion of saidstroke to thereby Vrelieve pressure. y Y

8. A force feed lubricating system including a cylinder constituting areservoir for lubricant, a springheld fluid pressure responsive member therein, a second pump cylinder of smaller diameter disposed axially of and within the first named cylinder and communiveating at'its `intake end with the latter, a plunger for said smaller cylinder associated 'vvi'thsaid member for'actuation by the-latter,

V a lcheck-valve controlling the discharge port ofthesmaller cylinder disposed in the path off andadapted to be opened and so mainlubricating system of the character tained as said plunger reaches and remains at the end of its discharge` stroke, a valve carried by said plunger controlling the intake to said smaller cylinder, a pressure relief element disposed to permit leakage from the pressure end portion of the cylinderand paths fed thereby while said check-valve is open to permit relief of pressure before the plunger begins its suction stroke, and means for connecting the first-named cylinder with a source of fluid under pressure for actuating the said member, against the action of its spring. Y y

9. In a lubricating system, a pump, iuid pressure self responsive restoring devices at the bearings for interrupting flow tothe latter after each thereof has received a given charge of lubricant, piping connecting the discharge end of the pump with said devices, a spring closed check-valve in the latter normally preventing back-flow from ythe piping into the pump, a plunger in the pump adapted mit self-restoring of said devices without effecting a reverse stroke of said plunger.

l0. ln a force feed lubricating system for automotive vehicles including a normally operating source of fluidl under pressure, a cylinder connected with said source, a self-restoring piston in said cylinder adapted to be actuated by the fluid under pressure, a return line from the latter. to said source, a manually operable three-way valve-controlling said connection and said line for eecting reciprocation of said piston, a second cylinder of smaller diameter than thefirst mentioned associated with the latter, .a source oflubricant connected with lsaid second cylinder, areciprocable plunger for the latter associated with said piston for reciprocation therewith, fluid pressure responsive, self-restoringrdevices at the bearings for controlling flow to the latter at each pressure stroke of said plunger, and means permitting leakage of lubricant while the plunger remains at the end of its discharge stroke to thereby permit self-restoring of said devices prior Yto reverse stroke of said plunger. Y ll. A force feed lubricating system including a source of lubricant, a reciprocable pist-on pump associated at its intake end with the same, fluid pressure responsive, -self-reof fluid under pressure-and an exhaust line for one end of said cylinder, a manually operable three-way valve controlling flow from f said source to andthe-discharge from Vsaid end of said cylinder, Va 'spring-held* piston in IRVING COWLES. 

